Teach Soap

Hello! I just started to make my own soap and have some questions!
1- I made a CP batch of olive oil soap. After several weeks the lye indicator is still too high. Can I remelt it in the crock pot and still use it or do I have to throw the whole batch out?
2- When using solid oils -such as coconut oil- do I weigh it solid or melt it down and then weigh it?
3- Does anyone have any recipes for solid bar shampoo?
4- Does anyone have any recipes for solid bar conditioner?
5- If I don't have a crock pot dedicated to soaping can I use crock pot liners for the soap and still use the crock pot for cooking?

I think that is all for now- thanks!

Welcome!

I'm not sure what you mean by lye indicator. Do you mean the pH of the soap? If so, handmade soap usually has a pH of around 9 - that's normal.

For the solid oils - coconut you can measure either way, but it's best to fully melt your palm oil (unless it's the hydrogenated palm) to be sure all the stearic acid is distributed evenly throughout the oil.

Check out Soap Queen's blog for shampoo/conditioner recipes.

I've never used a crock pot liner so I don't know how they'd work for re-batching. They may be too flimsy for the amount of stirring you'd need to do when re-batching.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I'm not sure what you mean by Lye Indicator either. Olive oil soap needs a good long cure though. Don't think a liner would work for the crockpot, but you could check your local thrift store. Mine always has crockpots available. I picked one up for $4. Used is okay for soaping in as long as its in decent condition. Save your nice one for pot roast. yum!

Handmade soap will always have a higher pH (around 9) unlike store bought bars which are mostly synthetic. Syndet bar's pH can be adjusted down. If you try to lower the pH of handmade soap it will separate into a caustic liquid and curds.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.